Thunder
by PassingBySunnyRain
Summary: Kim is the "keep to yourself" type. Jared is the "Sure, I'll keep you to myself" type. What if the girl Jared ignored for years was the reason he phased? Oh, and not to mention his soul mate. Under the impression that imprinting was going to be a breeze, Jared is surprised to find out that it's actually a hurricane. This is my take on the Jared/Kim imprint story.
1. Keep Your Head Up

**AN: Hello everyone! Thunder is a new story I'm working on along with my other fic Let the River In. Eventually they'll all tie in together but I wanted to give some background & history on some of the couples that happened before Let the River In. If you're here from that story or just happened across this one, I hope you enjoy! And yes, I'm still updating this stories and will be throughout 2018+ : Fanfiction isn't dead yet!**

"Come on Kim! You never do anything on the weekends but read in the woods like some kind of nerdy gnome or something. Just come out with me! It's not like we're going to the club, just some small bowling alley in Forks."

I groaned and placed the remainder of my morning textbooks in my locker.

"Fine, Anika! I'll go but you'll pay for this." I joked, narrowing my eyes at her. I went to close my locker when Anika's hand pushed me forward so that it closed on my head instead.

"Stay there and be quiet." She hissed.

I froze and directed my eyes to the floor, spotting familiar boots that made my heart flutter on the daily. Anika pulled the back of my jacket to let me know that it was okay to emerge and I sighed in relief. It may look odd to everyone else, because it was odd, but Anika and I developed this weird routine whenever Jared Cameron passed by. I've had a crush on Jared since I was young but I was always so shy and nervous that I simply froze anytime he was around.

"Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy shoving your head in a locker for comedic purposes but my title as 'best friend who hides Kim from her forever crush' is getting to be a bit too much." Anika said with a sigh.

I rolled my eyes and closed my locker, swinging my much lighter backpack over my shoulder.

"Do you remember the last time he even made eye contact with me? I froze in the middle of the hallway and had about eight kids slam into the back of me. There are reasons why I have you hide me, Anika, lifesaving reasons!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Now it was Anika's turn to roll her eyes. "I just don't understand why he has this effect on you! No offense, he doesn't even know you exist and someone like that doesn't deserve your passionate and overboard dedication."

I playfully bumped her hip with mine.

"Trust me, I tell myself the same things. It's just a crush honestly; my body just tends to react differently than I want it to." I sighed. "You're right though, he doesn't even know I exist. I mean I've been in every class of his since elementary school – you'd think he'd at least know my name."

"Maybe its destiny and you'll meet up in 20 years, both with two or three kids and have a wild affair and after he'll be all 'what's your name again' and then that'll finally be enough for you to get over it." Anika laughed and I began to head into English class.

"Like I would ever agree to that! Besides, Jared isn't like that." I said, giving her a pointed look.

"That's what you think but there's been a rumor going around that Sam Uley dropped him off at school today. Apparently they've been hanging out." She stated ominously, wiggling her fingers in my face.

My eyes widened as I absorbed the information. Sam Uley was the used to be good, "guy-next-door" now turned resident bad boy on the reservation. Word had it that he suddenly disappeared for a week or two and when he finally showed his face, people couldn't believe he was the same person. Everyone was saying that he became involved in the mafia or drugs or something to that effect. There's no way that Jared would let someone like that drop him off at school or even hang out with him. Then again, I never met Sam or was wronged by him so I'm not one to judge.

"Whatever, Anika! I'll see you later tonight." I called.

"Don't you dare forget!" She hollered over the sea of students.

I took a deep breath and headed to my desk, removing my note book once I sat down. I had this class with Jared as well but, again, he doesn't know I exist.

I don't know why I like Jared so much. It could be because we have the same taste in music, the fact that he's one of the smartest kids in school, or that he's the most attractive person I've ever laid eyes on. Admittedly, I knew a lot about Jared Cameron, but so did everyone else at La Push High. It was like the most popular kid in school morphed with the nerdiest kid and that made Jared – everyone here worshiped the ground he walked on which, unfortunately, included me.

I heard the familiar sound of his boots approaching and one seat up and to the right of mine was filled with his form. My heart raced and I pulled out a spare book, scanning it wildly and hoping that getting lost in the novel would calm me down.

I didn't blame Jared for not noticing me – it was rare that someone did. I kept to myself, read a lot and only had one friend. My personality resembled that of a mop and I wasn't some stunning looker too. In fact, I looked like everyone else here on the reservation – toffee colored skin, chocolate locks that were more curly than wavy and light, honey-brown eyes. I'd rather be on my own anyhow, despite the stereotype of "shy" girls, I actually was quite comfortable with myself and my alone time. I wasn't really shy either; I just tended to enjoy my own company over anyone else's.

Class began and things carried on as they normally did – I took notes and tried to ignore Jared's presence. Towards the end though, Jared began to noticeably sweat. Every couple of seconds a shiver would rack through his body and he'd use the sleeve of his shirt to wipe sweat off of his face. I, along with many others, gave him curious looks.

"Jared Cameron, is something wrong?" Our teacher asked, giving Jared the same worried look that the rest of us were.

"May I go to the nurse?" He asked hurriedly, standing up quickly and grabbing his things.

"Of course!" The teacher replied but Jared was already half-way out the door.

The bell rang about ten minutes later and I gathered my things, heading to the front of the school where I usually met with Anika.

"Alright, I'll come get you at six, sound good?" Anika said, rummaging through her purse to find her keys

"Yeah, I'll be ready." I assured her, my mind distracted.

"Good! Senior year is over and if you aren't going to prom, you at least owe me this."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." I grumbled. When I informed Anika that I wouldn't be attending prom, she lost her mind. Ever since, I've been trying to please her by going on these little weekend adventures.

I walked Anika to her car and both of us gasped when we saw none other than Sam Uley sitting in a battered truck, his eyes scanning over the student body.

"What the hell?" I questioned incredulously.

Then, out of nowhere, Jared came jogging up to the truck in a distressed manner. Sam motioned for him to get in the truck and, astonishingly, he did.

"I told you! I told you that they were hanging out!" Anika squealed, jumping up and down.

"I'll see you later." I mumbled, stumbling away from the car bewildered.

There had to be a reason why Jared would associate with Sam. Community service, maybe? I sighed to myself and made my way home, trying to focus more on the bowling trip tonight rather than Jared.

xXx

Sure enough, Anika arrived right on time and buzzing with excitement. We lived in a pretty small town and unless you were willing to drive a while to go to Seattle or Port Angles, the bowling alley and movie theater were the only source of entertainment.

We arrived shortly enough and by that time Anika's excitement spread and I was happy to have decided to go out. It gave me something to do other than ponder Jared's behavior. Man, I really sounded like some kind of lovesick stalker.

"How can I help you?" An employee asked, his back turned and occupied with cleaning a pair of bowling shoes.

"We'd just like a lane and shoes for two, please." I said, placing some cash down on the counter.

The man turned around and eyed us both up and down, his eyes lingering on my chest. Uncomfortable, I crossed my arms which caused him to smirk.

"Sure thing – will it be just for two? Two pretty girls bowling all alone? That's such a shame!" He said, his voice gravelly and unsteady.

"Yes, just for two please." Anika stated, stepping forward and pushing the money forward. "Time is money." She said with a stern smile.

The man took the money, taking the time to brush her hand. Anika snatched it away quickly and huffed, she wasn't one to back down in odd situations like this. She glanced down at his shirt and crossed her arms, mimicking my stance.

"It'll be a seven and a seven and a half, Daniel." She sneered.

The man turned, grabbed the shoes and placed them on the counter.

"You two have a great time. Your lane is right here." He pointed towards the lane closest to where we were standing and we quickly grabbed the shoes and left.

"What a creep!" Anika hissed. "Did you see the way he looked at us? Like we were meals! Absolutely disgusting! We should speak to the damn manager! And the way he touched me? Ugh!" She grimaced and wiped her hand on her pants.

"Yeah, it's amazing that people actually act like that and think it's okay. What was his goal? Did he honestly think that was attractive?"

We both shuddered in disgust and tried to shrug it off.

Through the night, other things happened with Daniel. I attempted to go to the bathroom but was practically followed, he offered us free cokes and food which we obviously declined and any free moment the man had seemed to have been spent either staring at us or attempting a conversation. We asked another employee about a manager and they pointed to Daniel so that was wonderful news. Still, we tried to have a good night and other than the few incidents, the rest of the night went pretty well. I suck at all things that require movement so I obviously lost but it was good to let loose and be out on a Friday night. We bowled for a while until it became too uncomfortable and decided to head to a local 24 hour diner for some fries.

As we made our way out, we were again approached by the manager.

"I'll see you soon. Maybe next time I can join you two." Daniel said loudly, broom in one hand and a cigarette in the other, a horror-movie like grin on his face.

"As if, creep!" Anika called, causing his eyes to narrow but not to stay from our forms.

We walked across the street to the diner, Anika still mumbling about Daniel .

"I mean it wouldn't surprise me if he was looking at my ass all night, you know? Like it's a damn bowling alley! Families go there! Why the hell would someone think it's acceptable to act that way?" Anika continued after we were seated and the waitress took our order.

"I know, Anika. The guy is a total creep."

We chatted for a little, the waitress bringing us two plates of fries and two cokes. I smothered mine with ketchup and looked up in shock when Anika began coughing and pointing wildly to the front of the diner. I looked to where she was pointed and almost choked myself. Sam and Jared were standing by the doors, waiting to be seated.

"Okay, that's definitely fate!" Anika commented, gulping down half her glass of coke.

"Shut up!" I half-yelled, watching in horror as the waitress seated them a couple of tables from us. "There's no way…" I groaned, sinking down further into the booth.

Anika giggled in amusement before abruptly stopping. I looked up at her, curious as to what possibly could be happening now. I followed her gaze and was met by the uncomfortable eyes of Daniel who was staring us down, the same grin plastered on his face as when we left the bowling alley.

"Okay, now there's definitely no way! What kind of luck is this?" I growled, shoving fries in my face.

 **AN: Chapter one comes to an end! I hope you enjoyed! I'm so excited about this story that I should have the next chapter posted within the next couple hours, tomorrow at the latest! Thank you for reading and if there are any other questions, please let me know!**


	2. Keep Your Heart Strong

**AN: As promised, here's chapter two! I hope that you enjoy!**

" _Okay, now there's definitely no way! What kind of luck is this?" I growled, shoving fries in my face._

"We better hurry and get out of here before he follows us home or something." Anika said seriously.

"Agreed." I mumbled.

Everything was quiet for a few moments until we were approached by the waitress.

"Excuse me girls, this man said he's a friend of yours! Is it alright if we leave him here with you?"

An unsettling feeling crept up in my abdomen.

"Hell no!" Anika said loudly, slamming her fist on the table. "Ma'm this man has been harassing us all evening!"

I blushed at Anika's loud confession but was thankful that she said something. It could come in handy when he kills us in his basement later. The waitress stood there with eyes wide and mouth open, obviously not sure how to handle the situation.

"I haven't been harassing them – just commenting on how two lovely girls shouldn't be alone all night. Some company would do them some good." He said lowly, eying me.

"Look dude, if you don't back off I will call the police." Anika hissed.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Sam and Jared stand and approach our table. A part of me panicked while the other part of me was relieved because they added another layer of protection from this guy.

"Is something going on here?" Sam asked.

"Yes! This guy has been making crude comments and basically following us all night." Anika growled, pointing at Daniel.

Sam turned to Daniel and looked him up and down. Daniel stepped back a bit, intimidated by Sam's size and glare.

"It's not my fault," Daniel began. "If you saw these two all alone wouldn't you like to approach them?" He said with a short laugh.

"So that means it's okay to approach two high school aged girls and make them feel uncomfortable all night?" Sam questioned dangerously.

"This is a place of business so if there's a problem, please move outside." The waitress cut in nervously, trying to take control of the situation.

"I'm sure there won't be a problem." Sam said pointedly. "This man is going to sit on the other side of the diner for the remainder of the meal, isn't that right…"

"Daniel." He grumbled.

"There, settled. And we'll join these girls just to make sure he stays away, won't we ladies?"

Anika and I glanced at each other and I saw her nod quickly. The waitress hummed with approval and showed Daniel to his seat on the other side of the restaurant.

"Let us grab our things and we'll join you in a minute." Sam said lightly.

"Oh, that won't be-"

"Perfect! Thank you very much!" Anika stated sweetly.

Sam and Jared nodded and moved back towards their table.

"What the hell was that? The creep is gone! We don't need them to babysit us!" I whispered harshly.

"Kim, this is the perfect chance to get Jared's attention! Hello! Wake up!" She said excitedly.

I blushed and went to make a comment but was interrupted by Anika standing up and moving to sit next to me.

"You guys can sit there. Thanks again! I was starting to get freaked out!" Anika stated, popping a fry in her mouth.

"Not a problem! I'm Sam by the way and this is Jared." Sam introduced, nudging Jared who gave a tight smile.

"We know! We actually go to school with Jared, don't we Kim? She's practically in every class with Jared!" Anika elbowed me and I blushed deeper.

"Yeah, she's right." I grumbled, taking a sip of my coke. Did I just speak in front of him? Holy shit I just spoke in front of him. Is the jig up? Can I actually act like a normal girl in front of him?

Jared looked at me for the first time that night and he stiffened slightly, looking at me curiously. Huh, maybe he did recognize me?

"Oh, so you know these girls then?" Sam questioned, looking at Jared with same curious look that Jared was still giving me.

"Sure, yeah." Jared said, finally looking away and down at his half-eaten burger.

"You'll have to excuse him, he hasn't been feeling well today." Sam said politely, taking the last bite of his own burger. "So, does this happen often to you two? I'm sure it's scary."

"Not really!" Anika stated. "If I go out I'm usually with a group but tonight was just for Kim and I. She owes me since she isn't going to prom!"

Sam chuckled and Jared's head snapped up, his gaze back on me.

"Why not?" Jared asked softly.

I blushed and shifted uncomfortably.

"Dances aren't really my thing." I said, shrugging.

What was with him? He's never acted like this before; he's never even spoken to me before. So what's with the sudden starting and interest?

"Plus, she doesn't have a date." Anika stated jokingly, poking my cheek. "Kim is more of the bookworm type so she doesn't get out much! It also makes her better than everyone else because she's not tainted by the party scene!" She finished dramatically.

Jared laughed quietly and nodded.

"I'm actually that way as well but I have several friends like you who push me to be social." He said lightly to Anika. "It's fun but sometimes we need our nights at home with The Great Gatsby, don't we Kim?"

Anika and I both looked at him bewilderingly.

"Uh, yeah. Exactly." I said, smiling softly. Jared returned the smile and I felt my heart leap into my throat. I wasn't expecting that at all. I mean everyone knew that Jared was smart but him also being a bookworm? Could he chill out and let other guys have a chance? He's going to make it hard to move on from him when I headed to an out of state college after graduation. My heart went from racing to aching in a moment's notice at the thought of not seeing Jared or Anika after graduation.

Sam then looked at me in a friendly but curious way. I avoided his eyes, along with Jared's, and continued to finish the couple of fries I had left. I felt like Sam could read me like a book which, surprisingly, didn't scare me. Based off of what happened tonight, it was apparent that the rumors about Sam weren't all true.

The boys offered to walk us to our car and we accepted, especially thankful when we walked out to see Daniel leaning on the wall by Anika's car. Daniel frowned and crossed his arms, spitting on the sidewalk by our feet.

"You guys should really learn when to back off. I saw these girls first, they're mine." He said, standing up straight as though to match Sam's height.

Sam huffed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Listen, if you don't get out of here I will call the police. These girls obviously want nothing to do with you and it's best that you leave them the hell alone." Sam stated with authority.

"These girls need someone to show them a little fun, that's all!" Daniel said with his eyes focused on me. "Especially this little uptight one here – I bet I could really get you unwound." He said with a sickening chuckle.

I took a step back and shivered in disgust.

"Get the hell out of here or the cops will show up to a homicide case." Jared growled viciously, his body trembling.

Sam eyed him warily but Daniel's sickening laughter just turned into a guffaw.

"Fine, I'll go. But I assure you, if it's not now, it'll be later." He said ominously before beginning to walk towards his car. The creep gave a wave out of his window before exiting the parking lot.

Jared lunged at the back of Daniel's vehicle, his whole body shaking like he was an earthquake personified. Sam grabbed him by the back of his shirt and pulled him back earning another growl from Jared.

"You can't let that scumbag leave!" Jared hissed, his tremors coming violently now.

"I have his license plate number, Jared! Don't worry, he'll be reported to the police. Right now I think it's best that we let these girls go home, okay?" Sam gave him a knowing look.

Jared just shook his head and pushed by Sam, walking into the woods that lined the back of the parking lot.

"Is-Is he going to be okay? He's shaking pretty bad…"I said, concerned. I'd never seem someone shake the way Jared was and on top of that he was absolutely covered in sweat again, just like in class.

"Yeah, he'll be fine but I'd better go with him. You know…because he may…get sick?" Sam looked at the forest nervously. "Be safe you two!" Same said before jogging over to where Jared disappeared into the darkness.

Anika and I said our quick goodbyes to Sam's fading form before getting into the car and buckling up. As we left the diner, we heard a scream rip through the quiet woods.

"I don't know about you, but I've never heard of the flu doing that to someone. I hope he's okay! Shit!" Anika said, pressing on the gas to bring us home faster.

"Me too." I agreed, peering back at the empty parking lot.

Once we arrived back at my house, Anika decided that it would be best if we spent the night together seeing as though my parents were out of the state for two weeks.

"I can't believe they just leave you here alone." She said, slipping on a pair of pajamas.

I shrugged, throwing my hair up in a messy bun.

"They live their own life, I live mine. I don't mind it." I stated simply and changed into a pair of pajamas myself.

I always thought that I was lucky, honestly. I've heard that fifty percent of marriages ended in divorce and my mom and dad were as far away from that statistic as possible. They were the couple that most people wanted to become but regardless of being a great couple, they were kind of shitty parents. They never hit me or even disciplined me, but they also never paid too much attention. They were wrapped up in their own little world and paid attention to me when they wanted to. Don't get me wrong, we got along well and they always supported me. I supposed I was never a troublesome child and so I didn't need a lot of looking after and I guess they never really needed to parent me. Now that I'm older, they tend to vacation quite a lot with each other and aren't home very much. Hey, it's fine by me! It gives me a sanctuary where I can read, cook and basically do anything that I want when I want and how I want.

"Still," Anika began. "Don't they ever consider how lonely it must be?"

"It's not so bad! Honestly!" I said, plopping down on the bed and sighing softly.

Anika followed suit and gave me a bright smile.

"Jared seemed pretty interested in you tonight! Did you see how he kept staring at you?" She said excitedly.

"Jared also was sick as a damn dog! He probably won't remember anything by Monday." I finished sadly.

"I guess we'll see then, won't we?"

Oh yeah, I had to see him again - didn't think that far.

"I'm going to die!" I exclaimed dramatically, turning off the light.

"Oh please, he'd be crazy not to fall head over heels and declare his love for you the next time he sees you." She said with a giggle.

"Yeah right! With my luck, he might recognize me! And that's a strong maybe!"

I could tell that Anika was smiling as she pulled the covers up and rolled away from me.

"Truthfully Kim, you're a great person and I know that you'll find a happiness like no other one day." She said seriously.

I smiled softly.

"I feel the same way about you, Anika. It's because we're so damn fantastic."

We both chuckled and eventually fell asleep, Monday being the only thing on my mind. Well, that and the scream we heard leaving the parking lot...

 **AN: There we go! I should be updating as soon as possible! Please tell me what you think or if you have any questions! Have a great day!**


	3. Satellite

**AN: Here we go with Chapter Three! As for my other story (Let the River In), it will be updating within the next day or so! Also, I did want to clear something up – Jared has not imprinted on Kim just yet! If you have any questions, please let me know! Thank you for your patience and enjoy!**

The thought of going to school Monday threw me into a panic attack. Don't get me wrong, what happened over the weekend…the parts involving talking to Jared at least…were like a dream and I was unbelievably happy that I was able to function in front of him properly enough to have a conversation. However, I was in no way prepared to see him in school again. At least when he ignored me I knew what to expect but now anything was possible. Though Jared isn't the type, a part of me wondered if he would ignore me. After all, he was the most popular kid in school and I was the loner – it would damage his reputation if he cared about having one.

Monday morning consisted of me waking up an hour early, picking through some of my best clothes to attempt to put together something fashionable and yes, I even tried to do my makeup. Nothing had prepared me, though, to discover that Jared didn't even show up Monday…or Tuesday…or for the next two weeks.

At first, everyone freaked out and thought that his illness lead to his death but that was quickly shut down by another rumor claiming that he was recovering at home. Apparently Paul Lahote, or the bad boy of La Push high, had been taking homework to Jared for the past couple weeks. Once everyone heard that he was okay, things moved along normally – I didn't do my makeup, went back to my casual wear and tried to assure myself that seeing Jared again was an unreasonable thing to "prepare" for.

And then, all of a sudden, one day he was back.

As Anika and I were approaching our homeroom, the crowded hallway parted like the damn red sea to reveal Jared himself walking, laughing and talking like any other person except…he looked different. Jared had always been handsome and it could just be that I hadn't seen him in two weeks but he looked even more handsome. His normally cropped hair was now a bit shaggy, his build seemed bigger – even his clothes were clinging to his body in different ways. He was taller as well, maybe even over six feet – was it possible to grow that much in two weeks? I ducked behind Anika who huffed and stepped behind me, leaving me up front and vulnerable. Jared passed Anika and I, still laughing at some comment Paul made when he suddenly stopped, his nose upturned and eyes closed as though he had caught a scent of something wonderful. He went to turn around and my heart leapt into my throat but Paul patted his back, urging him forward. I sighed in relief and Anika and I continued walking.

"Kim, you can't hide from him. You have to have some faith in yourself, girl! You know that he's just a boy in the same way that you're just a girl – he's not some magical creature!" Anika stated, pulling open the door to our homeroom.

"I know, Anika. For some reason my brain just thinks about him differently and my body just reacts – like a knee-jerk reaction. With anyone else, I don't have a problem! Put any other boy in front of me and I'll be fine. There's just something about him!" I said, sitting down and resting my face in my hand.

Anika nodded and shrugged.

"Maybe it really is destiny!" She said dramatically, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"Oh please!" I said, playfully shoving her.

"In all honesty though, you just have a huge crush! Everyone has those! In fact, there's someone out there who is almost certainly going through the same thing you are! Hell, they write books about it." She said with a smile. "You just have to be you! That's how all the girl's get the guys anyways, right?"

I smiled and nodded. She was right, after all. I couldn't hide from Jared forever and allowing myself to react like a crazy person around him wasn't acceptable either. I took a deep breath and made a promise to myself to remain grounded the next time I saw Jared…which was lunch…a couple hours away. Okay, yeah, I can do this.

Hours passed by quickly and so did my classes. Before I knew it, it was lunch time. Again, I wasn't expecting for Jared to just waltz up and sit with Anika and I but anything was possible. I met up with Anika in the crowded cafeteria; we grabbed our lunch and sat at an available table. My eyes were drawn to the cafeteria entrance as though I subconsciously knew that Jared was entering. I scanned him, again taken back by how different he looked. I glanced down, embarrassed by my own blatant googling, and took a bite out of my sandwich. Dammit Kim! Get ahold of yourself!

"Oh wow! It looks like Jared might sit by us! That's new!" Anika said, causing me to look up.

Jared had a curious look on his face and he, again, had his nose turned up as though he smelt something. His eyes scanned the cafeteria, sniffing every so often. Maybe he was still sick? Anika and I both watched as he got closer and closer to our table. The closer he got the more wild his eyes looked. Paul then approached him, pulling his arm as if to take Jared to his table. For a moment, Jared's face looked beyond angry and Paul's grasp dropped quickly. Anika and I both looked at each other while the rest of the cafeteria fell quiet. I guess we weren't the only one's observing Jared's odd behavior. Jared glanced around, shook his head and jogged out of the cafeteria.

"Maybe he isn't over being sick?" I said, watching as his form disappeared out of sight. Anika shrugged and took a sip of water, the cafeteria getting louder by the second.

Lunch eventually ended and the day moved along until it was finally the last period of the day, English…with Jared. I got there early as usual and sat down, taking out my trusty spare novel. I began to read and things were going okay, well, until Jared entered the room. I could hear his boots in the front of the room and then, all of a sudden, a bang. I snapped my head up to see Jared standing with his eyes closed and his hands forming fists at his side. Someone stood up and began to pick up Jared's things which snapped him back to reality. He chuckled awkwardly and thanked the person helping him, starting at her with intensity before a sad look flickered across his face. He made his way to his seat diagonal from me and I looked back down at my book, trying to seem unbothered.

What was going on with him today? He looked different and had been acting strange – maybe the rumors about Sam were true? I internally scolded myself. No, Sam had helped Anika and I in a potentially very dangerous situation. Surely that meant that both Sam and Jared were good people…right?

I went to peak at Jared's seat but my eyes instead met a thin, white t-shirt that was wrapped around an obvious six pack. I gulped and looked up slowly to find a serene looking Jared, eyes closed and if he wasn't standing up, I would have assumed he was sleeping…that is, until he moaned.

"Cinnamon…" He murmured a slight smile on his face. "I've finally found you."

"P-pardon?" I said, my voice slightly trembling.

Suddenly his eyes snapped open and his fierce gaze met mine, fiery and wild. My whole body erupted goosebumps and it felt as though every piece of me caught fire in the most delicious way. His eyes scanned my form, lingering on my eyes several times causing me to blush embarrassingly.

"Mine." He said strongly as though it was a fact.

His? What the hell was he talking about?

"Jared, are you okay? Are you feeling better?" I asked nervously, my heart racing recklessly in my chest.

Jared smiled brightly and squatted, dropping down to my eye-level.

"Kim, I'm better than I ever have been, you have no idea." He said, his smile widening.

"Oh that's...good." I grumbled, trying to will my heart to slow.

Jared smirked and his eyes ran over my face as though he was studying me like a textbook.

"Wow, listen to that." He murmured. I could hear the smile hiding in his voice but his eyes were so serious as he looked at me.

"Excuse me?" I said again. What was with all of these weird comments? I immediately felt insecure. Of course I knew it wasn't possible that he could hear my heart racing but...that comment sure made it seem like he could.

"Kim, do you like me?" he asked bluntly.

I felt my mouth drop open, earning a smirk from him.

"Uh, yeah I mean you're a nice guy Jared!" I exclaimed quickly. Was this a dream? This had to be a dream.

"Ah, it's settled then!"

"What's settled?" I asked, not believing the weird exchange between us.

"I'd like to walk you home today, is that okay?" He asked, breaking out a stunning grin.

I looked at him shocked. Okay, this was most definitely a dream! I'd been so wrapped up and anxious about his return that now I'm dreaming about it.

"I won't take no for an answer, Kim." he said jokingly.

"O-okay. Yeah, that's fine!" I said. "Are you sure you want to walk home though...with me?" I asked incredulously.

"More than you know."

What the hell was going on in here on this day.

 **AN: And that's a wrap for chapter three! I hope you all enjoyed! Thank you very much!**


	4. Cedar Smoke

**AN: Hello there everyone! I apologize for the late update! A lot has been going on in my life that I needed to sort out and, though that's not much of an excuse, it prevented me from updating. I'll be trying to update more often and I don't want anyone to think that I've abandoned this story or Let The River In. With that said, enjoy!**

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The rest of English class passed by both fast and slow. I'm tempted to say that it also passed by without much else going on but that would be a blatant lie. After the bewildering exchange between Jared and I, he proceeded to move from his usual desk to the one next to mine which caused everyone who entered the classroom to buzz with curiosity. Though we had a free seating chart and our teacher allowed us to sit wherever we pleased, most of us chose a seat on the first day of school and stayed there until the last day so the fact that Jared uprooted this concept threw everyone off.

I attempted to pay attention to the lesson but the constant bounce of Jared's knee along with his unapologetic staring made it quite difficult. The last fifteen minutes of class rolled around and we were assigned a certain amount of text to read before the bell rang. This was perfect – the class was silent and I enjoyed the novel we were currently studying so I was hoping that it would give me some down time before the nerve-racking walk home with Jared. I leaned forward to rest my cheek on my fist and began reading, freezing when I felt an instantly recognizable heat brush against my cheek. Jared was sitting closer to me than I realized, his fingers tucking a loose curl behind my ear. I stared at him in awe, mirroring the same reaction that was on his face almost perfectly.

Jared stared at me like a man who was standing before the ocean for the first time – his eyes roaming over my face with what looked like a determination to memorize every feature. There was complexity, adoration, curiosity and respect in his eyes, something that both made me nervous and intrigued. As anxious as I was from this blatant staring, I couldn't find it within myself to pull from his gaze – like the moon and the tide I felt immensely drawn to him, almost like it was my duty to challenge his eyes, to stare at him just as intensely as he was staring at me. With a blush hot on my cheeks I gave into my anxiety and glanced back down at the novel in front of me, jumping with alarm as the bell sounded. Fifteen minutes passed by that fast? How long had Jared and I been staring at each other?

I collected my things hurriedly and stood up, turning to Jared almost instinctively to find him reaching for my hand. Again, a fire raced through my veins like I'd never felt and his wide, bright smile didn't help the embarrassing thunder of my heartbeat. We walked out of class together, both of us ignoring the stares of our classmates as they stared in obvious wonder at our interlocked hands.

"Kim? Holy shit Kim!" I heard Anika call from behind me.

"Hey! I…um…I won't need a ride today. Jared offered to walk me home!" I said awkwardly, bobbing my head in Jared's direction.

Anika's eyes brightened as she studied our below the wrist embrace.

"That's perfectly fine! Not a problem at all!" She said with a knowing smile. "You better call me tonight though to give me details!" She paused, running a hand through her hair with an uncomfortable chuckle. "Details about the science quiz! Right? Okay, later!"

I groaned and shook my head. Could she have been any more obvious?

Jared and I continued walking out of the school until we were off the property and meandering down the sidewalk hand in hand.

"So, Anika is quite the fireball?" Jared said questioningly.

"You could say that, definitely. We complement each other pretty well – she's fire and I'm more ice." I said quickly before internally groaning at such a cheesy line.

"I wouldn't say you're ice, you seem pretty hot to me." Jared said with a smirk.

"Oh, okay." I said stupidly while blushing.

Jared chuckled as he shortened his long strides to meet my much smaller ones.

"By the way, I wanted to thank you for this weekend. Anika and I were pretty freaked out about it and you and Sam made us feel a lot better." I glanced up at Jared to see his eyes darken and his mouth fall into a frown.

"Let's not talk about that right now, alright? I'm glad that you're okay – you mean…" He paused and let go of my hand so he could run his own through his mess of hair.

"I mean?" I questioned.

"You mean a lot to people." He said quickly, giving me a reassuring nod. "Your parents and Anika and…others I'm sure. You're a very special person, Kim and you play a big part in a lot of people's lives." He exclaimed passionately.

I smiled tightly and shrugged. "I'm sure that nothing would have come from it. It was comforting to have you around of course but I can handle myself. I always have and I always will." I said defensively.

Internally, I almost felt a little upset with Jared. Like I said, I wasn't a noticeable person. I blend into the crowd, moved silently and I was proud of my independent, invisible nature. However, for someone who had shared every class with me ever since I could remember and didn't even remember my name, he was very outspoken about how special and meaningful my existence was to the people in my life…all three of them.

Jared looked at me curiously, a light blush forming on his cheeks.

"I didn't mean to say that you can't handle yourself! I just meant that I don't want to ever see something happen to you." He stated quickly.

I shook my head and picked up my pace. Sure, my frustration with him was getting out of hand and I knew that he only meant well but I couldn't help but feel off put by his behavior.

"Kim, wait!" He said as he caught up to my side. "I didn't mean to offend you at all! Please don't be mad with me."

I sighed as we crossed onto the street that my house was on.

"I'm sorry, Jared. I guess I just don't understand your sudden interest in me to me honest. I've been in every class with you since grade school and you didn't even know my name until a couple weeks ago. Not to be an asshole but why am I 'so special' all of a sudden?"

"Kim, listen, the last time I saw you I…" he paused and I stopped to look at him. His gaze was fixed over my shoulder. "Is that your house?" He asked curiously.

I turned and saw two police cars sitting in front of my home; a couple of officers were leaning on their vehicles chatting with each other about something.

"Uh, yeah it is actually. I wonder what's going on…" I began to jog over to the officers, beginning to panic. My parents were supposed to come home from their trip today and they would always at least send me a text before they got on their plane but I hadn't received anything yet. I approached the officers who looked me over quickly before giving each other a look.

"Are you Kim? Kim Hollow?" One of the officers asked.

I nodded, too anxious to speak.

"I'm Officer Rhye. We had a report called in about some sexual harassment that happened a couple weeks ago. We're here to question you about the incident."

Jared was by my side at this point, a frown etched on his handsome face.

"It took you two weeks to approach the victim?" He asked angrily, his fists clenched at his side.

The officer shifted his weight and glared at Jared.

"And who are you?" he asked.

"Jared Cameron, I was there that night if you took the time to read the full report." He said, his deep voice ringing through the air. Although my brain was overwhelmed with what was going on, I did take a moment to admire the authority and protectiveness that was radiating off Jared. His chest was puffed out, his dark eyes narrowed and angry. His jaw was clenched and his plump lips were fixed in a deep scowl. He really was so handsome. I shook my head and threw myself back into the situation at hand.

Officer Rhye and Jared were still in a staring competition, neither looking as though they would back down anytime soon.

"We can go inside if that would make things easier." I stated, walking in between the officer and Jared to unlock the front door. Everyone followed me inside and took their seats on the couch or loveseat.

"As I said before I was interrupted," the officer began. "We received that report and conducted some research of our own before deciding to speak with you. You see, Daniel Roberts has had several serious reports against him for sexual harassment, violence and attempted kidnapping – he's not a particularly nice guy which is why we needed to pay you a visit. Did he say anything about not being finished with you or paying you a visit later?" He questioned.

"Uh, yeah actually he did say something along those lines…" I said, shifting uncomfortably in my seat.

Officer Rhye glanced at his partner seriously before looking back at me.

"I'm not trying to scare you, ma'm, but Mr. Roberts tends to mean what he says. In the cases we've been looking over, many of them don't end well but somehow that snake always has a way of getting out of our grasp. He's very manipulative and can twist and turn his way out of charges. There's a high possibility that you will see his face very soon and you should be prepared. I noticed your parents aren't home, will we get a chance to speak with them?"

I clasped my hands together and shrugged.

"They work pretty late some nights but they're aware of what happened and I'll tell them what you've told me." I reassured them, lying through my teeth.

Jared sat up a little in his seat and glared knowingly at me. I shifted under his uncomfortable gaze and turned my attention back to Officer Rhye.

"Is there anything that you suggest in the meantime?"

The officer and his partner stood up and were making their way to the door.

"Just keep any eye out and be very aware of your surroundings. I'd also suggest you purchase some pepper spray as well. If you need or notice anything, even if it seems minor, please let us know immediately." He said solemnly.

"I will, promise." I muttered, not wanting to recognize that I could potentially be in some real danger.

The officer and his partner exited – the front door closing at the exact same time my cell phone started ringing. I quickly glanced at Jared who was still sitting on the loveseat, arms crossed and icily staring at me and answered.

"Hello?"

"Oh, Kim! Darling! How have you been? Just calling to let you know that you're father and I decided to stay another two weeks! Can you believe it? It's like another honeymoon!" My mother's voice chimed loudly over the phone. I groaned and sat on the couch across from Jared.

"Mom, the amount of time you and Dad have travelled since your first honeymoon would make this your hundredth honeymoon. Look, something serious happened a couple weeks ago and I think it would be best if you would come home."

"There's no need for that, Kimmy! You're a smart, intelligent and independent girl! Besides I'm sure you're just being dramatic about something little. Always keep things in perspective dearie. Mother's instinct tells me it's a problem with boys, isn't it? Is it that Jared Cameron again? You should just give up on that one!"

"Mom!" I half-screamed, looking up at Jared to find the frown still in place but his eyes held an amused twinkle.

"Anyhow, you'll be fine. If anything call Alyssa over, she's a doll!" Mom said before squealing at my father, begging him to stop at some location they must have passed.

"Mom, its Anika and this isn't just some…regular issue! This is serious! Someone-"

"Oh honey I've got to go! We just passed this fabulous café that I couldn't live with myself if we passed! See you in two weeks! Love you!"

With that the phone call ended and I slumped back into the couch, sighing angrily. Jared leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, looking me over.

"Your mom doesn't seem to be too concerned with your well-being." He huffed, shaking his head.

"You don't know that."

"From what I hear…gathered it seems that way. I mean how long have you been alone? Two weeks? A month?" He asked and I looked at him with surprise.

"How did you know that? That's none of your business" I said angrily. No one but Anika knew that I had been alone for so long and it was that way for my own safety. Now if the police knew I was left alone while only being seventeen, it would cause trouble.

Jared stood up quickly and started to pace.

"So you've been home alone this whole time while some psycho is out to kidnap you and you purposefully made the decision to not tell the police? Come on Kim!" He shouted, his deep voice trembling.

"In my defense I didn't know to take him seriously! And how the hell did you know that I was alone? I don't want to ask a third time!" I growled.

"It's obvious! I can smell that there hasn't been anyone but you or Anika here in almost a month!" He spit, grinding to a halt in mid pace as though he let something slip that he shouldn't have.

"What…what did you just say? Smell?" I asked, staring into his wild eyes.

Jared groaned and threw himself back on the couch.

"I meant see, I misspoke…" He grumbled.

I sat across from him again and watched as he scratched the back of his neck.

"Look, if you're so concerned why didn't you tell them?" I asked sassily.

Jared chuckled and shook his head.

"I don't know, Kim but I should have. Regardless, you need someone here with you to make sure nothing happens." He said seriously, meeting my gaze.

I shrugged.

"I'm sure I'll be fine – I can call Anika over whenever she isn't busy." I said simply.

"And if she is busy then what? Is there anyone else you can call? Anywhere you could go?"

I shook my head and smiled tightly.

"Right now she's all I have so if she can't make it guess I'm one dead bitch." I said jokingly.

Jared growled and stood up, his body shaking.

"I never want to hear something like that again, understand?" He said strongly.

I stood up then too; he wasn't going to intimidate me.

"I can say whatever the hell I want Jared Cameron and not even you could stop me. Just because you suddenly find me interesting and want to walk me home does not give you a right to just fuse yourself to my life."

Jared crossed the room then and stood so close to me that I had to turn my head to look up at him. He smelled like clove and the ocean – it was hypnotizing. I met his eyes with the same passionate stare that he was giving me and his face broke out into a blinding smile.

"We're going to have so much fun together." He said lightly, his dimples prominent and making my heart race.

"What do you mean?" I asked, momentarily swooned by the look of adoration he was sending my way.

"Well obviously I'm staying here with you until your parents get back." He said with a swift wink as my jaw dropped.

Could things get anymore bizarre?

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 **AN: I'm sorry if Jared is coming off a bit cocky but that'll calm down later...maybe? Haha! Anyways I hope that you liked this chapter and I'm eager to get started on my next update! Have a great week and thank you for reading 3**


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